Fiths



W. U. GRIFFITHS. VALVE ACTUATING MEANS FOR WATER CLOSET APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. 1917.

Paiemod 0st. 14, 1919.

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. ggwith an outlet port 2, closed by means of a WILLIAM U. GRIFFITHS,GIT-PHILADELPHIA,-PENNSYLVANIA.

vA'LvE-AcTUArmG MEANS non wn'rnn-onosnr APPARATUS To all whom it mayconcern.-

Be it known that I, VILLIAM U. GRIF- 'FITHS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident. of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphiaand State of Pennsylvania,

. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-ActuatingMeans for Water-Closet Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has for one. of its objects to provide a construction ofmeans for actuatin the valves of water-closet apparatus whic is simplein construction and positive in its action.

A further object istb provide a construction comprising relatively fewparts which 7 parts are 56 supported and so connected to-- gether as tobe unlikely to become displaced and therebyrequire repair.

Other objects and advantages of my in vention will be referred to in thedetailed description thereof which follows or will be apparent .fromsuch description.

In order that my invention may be more easily understood referenceshould be had to the accompanying drawings in wh ch I" have illustratedtwo slightly diiferent forms of embodiment thereof.

In the said draw1ngs:-

Figure 1 is a view showinga flush tank partly in section and partly inelevation and provided with valve actuating means shown in elevationembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view from the inside of the tank showing said valveactuating means in rear side elevation;

Fig. 3 through'a ortion ofone side of the tank and throng the said valveactuating means; Fig. 4 is a perspective View showing a por- .tion ofthe said actuating means; "i Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View of aportion of the said actuating means showing o. modificationof theconstruction; and 4 f Fig, 6 isaperspective view of a portion of thesaidyalve actuating means adapted to f. be used instead of r the tionshown in Fig. 4.

the drawings, 1 designates the flush tank. of a grater-closet apparatusprovided corresponding portvalve The said valve is connected by means 14 to the inner end 5 of a hlevor tu irgvw with a relatively long hol-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 9, 1917.

is a horizontal sectional view- Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

Serial No. 160,733.

end of an inwardly extending bracket 9 supported upon the inner side ofa Wall of the tank 1. The lever 6 extends beyond, that is, to the leftof the p10]ecti0n 7, as shown at 10. n

l5 designtes an operating handle situ ated as usua lxupon the outside'ofthe; tank l and connec d at/ one end of a short rev- .oluble shaft 16eupported in a bearing sleeve 17 extending thr ugha hole in the wall ofthe tank 1. The said sleeve also extends through an opem bracket 9. Thesail bracket is secured in position and the slee\ e also held inposition. within the opening in the wall of the tank 1 by means of a nutI screwed upon the inner end of the said heal 'ng sleeve and con tactingwith and bindin against the said bracket 9.

20 designates a boss havin an opening 21 therein into which the innerend of the shaft 16 extends, as shown in Fig. The said boss is securedupon the inner end 'of the said shaft by means of a bindin screw 22.

25 designates an arm integrall yhor otherwise connected with the boss 20a11d-.exteznling in a direction s11bsta11tially""at right angles to theaXis of the shaft 16. Said arm is provided at its outer end withsimilarly shaped 'branch arms 27 and 23. The said arms 25, 27 and 28radiate from. the point 30. Similar arms 31, 32 and 33 are arranged insubstantially parallel relation Withrespect to the arms 25, 27 and 28and are supported upon the inner end of a cross connecting bar 34integrally or otherwise g in. one end of the connected with the said twogroups of arms.

,Normally the operating handle 15 is in the drawing.

In the constructionshown whenthe handle 15 is in the position shown in.full lines the arm 25 extends upwardly in a substantially verticaldirection with the arms 27 and 28 extending in the directions indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 1. The arn'isiil, 32 and 33il ell1g rigidlysecured to the arm 25, oocupy similar positions as will be apparent froman inspection of Fig. 4

When in such position the end portion 10 of lever 6 is situated in thespace between the arms 25 and 31, as is clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and3. As a causes movententof the cross rod anther-3i result of such far-'.rangement it is apparent that mov'ernenjt of the operating handle 15ineitheiydirgction in the opposite direction and movement of the latter,because o'l' its contact with the upper edge oi the end portion 10 ofthe lever, causes a downward movement of the latter and a consequentupward mo ement of the opposite end portion of said lever which isconnected with the linl; 4. As a result of such upward movement o'i' theend portion 5 the valve is opened, as indicated in dotted lines in l e'.1.

it will be observed that the pivot projection 8 is not provided with anymeans for retaining the lever (i thereon. The arms 25, 27 and .28, 31,32 and 33 operate to retain the. level in position upon the said pivot.The angular relation of the arms of each group with respect to eachother such that no matter to what position or positions the arms may bemoved the end portion 10 of the lever is at all times between one ormore couples of said arms. It will a be understood that the shaft 16 iscompletely revoluble.

fin 1 to l inclusive 1 have shown a preferred form of en'ibodiment of myinvention and in Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a modification ofconstruction in which the arms 27, 28, 31, 32 and 33 have been omitted.The arm 25, however, is retained and is adapted to be secured to theinner end of a shaft 16 by means of a hollow boss and a binding screw inthe same manner as described in connection with the construction shownin Figs. 1 to 'rlr. The arm is provided at its outer end with aninwardly extending projection or lug, which con' tacts with the upperedge of the end portion '10 of the lever 6 to actuate the said leverabout its pivot in the manner already described. The lever 6 in theconstructions shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is pivotally supported upon aprojection 8 extending inwardly from the bracket 9. In order to retainthe lever in position upon the pivot projection S the latter is screwthreaded as at 36 for the reception of a nut 3'7 which is seated againstthe projecting sleeve 8 of the lever l). Said nut operates to retain thesaid sleeve and lover in position upon the projection S.

In the construction as illustrated with the lever 15 depending in asubstantially vertical position as shown in tan lines in Fig. 1 the armextends upwardly in a practically vertical direction, with the, part 3%or 235 occupying a position over the upper edge of the end portion 10 ofthe lever 6 almost directly above the line of the shaft 16. It will heunderstood, however, that the parts may be arranged so that normallythe, arm may extend in an inclined direction or it ma y occupy asubstantially horizontal position with the part 371' or in contact withor in proximity to the upper edge of the e ase end portion 10 of thelever, the latter being in position as shown in Fig. 1 in full lineswith the valve 3 closed.

I claim:-

1. Valve operating means for water-closet apparatus comprising incombination a pivoted lever having connection on one side of itspivotwith a valve, a crank arm having a portion either in contactadapted to contact with the opposite end portion of the said lever andmeans for rotating the said crank arm through a complete circle to causepivotal movement of the said lever to open and close the said valve.

2. Valve operatingmeans for water-closet apparatus comprisiiur a leverhaving c011- nection at one end pivotally supporting said leverintermediate its ends, a crank arm cooperating, with the opposite endportion of said lever for causingpivotal movement of the latterto openand close the said valve and means supported upon said crank arm .onopposite sides of said lever in parallel relation to the swingingmovements thereof for retaining the same upon its pivot.

Valve operating means for water-closet apparatus coi'nprising incombination a lever pivoted intermediate itsends and having connectionat one end with avalve, a pivot for supporting said lever, an operatinghandle, a shaft-adapted to be operated by said handle, a cra'nlc armhaving conned tir with the saidshal't and operating upon rotation of the.said shaft to ca'nse pivotal movement of the said lever, a'plurality ofgroups of arms carried by said crank arm, the said groups being spacedfrom each other and the arms of the'respective groups being radiallyarranged and a portion of the said lever being situatedin the spacebetween the said groups of arms, substantially as described.

4. In combination, a lever, a pivot for *ith a valve, means for Lsupporting said lever, an operating handle,

a rotatable shaft having connection with said handle and adapted to berotated there by, a crank arm having connection with said shaft, saidcrank arm having a lateral projection at its outer end, branch armsconnected with the outer end. of'said crank arm and a plurality ofang'plarly related arms connected to the end of said projection, thesaid last mentioned arms being situated upon the opposite side of thesaid lever from that of the crank arm and the arms connected with the.outer end of the latter, substantially as described.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereuntosigned my name this 7th day of April, A. D. 1917.

WILLIAM ll. GRIFFITHS.

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